November 25, 2002
CYBERCOLUMN:
Respond to God's goodness
___By Brett Younger
___Children with families of their own will drive back to Mom and Dad's for Thanksiving.
___Lots of warnings will be issued to the children in the back seat: "Don't talk about you-know-what in front of Grandpa and Grandma."
___Bizarre promises will be made: "If you will just try everything, even the green stuff, we'll drive through McDonald's on the way home."
BRETT YOUNGER
___Several husbands will be warned: "If you must root against the Cowboys, at least have the decency not to gloat about it."
___A new son-in-law will have the feeling that he walked into the wrong class—English literature instead of the calculus for which he studied. Everyone else will know all the answers. There will be names, dates, and stories for which they only use the punch line: "We know not to let Linda fix the turkey. Ha! Ha!" The poor confused son-in-law will smile stupidly. He will have no idea what's going on.
___ Some in-laws will hope to be a little less confused at Christmas. A few will spend Thanksgiving trying to figure out a way to get out of Christmas.
___ Several college students will second-guess their decision to shave their feeble attempts at moustaches rather than face the humiliating comments of their fathers.
___ Lots of homes that have gotten along on ham sandwiches and microwave pizzas will see some pretty fancy cooking over the next few days.
___ For all the trouble that will be taken, Thanksgiving won't really happen for a lot of people. Many will be glad that they have what they have, but gladness is not gratefulness. Far more people will have turkey and dressing than a real experience of gratitude.
___ It is easier to think about what we want than about what we have been given. For most of us, having more hasn't made us more grateful.
___ In a letter to his yuppie nephew, Henri Nouwen wrote: "Increasing prosperity has not made people more friendly toward one another. They're better off, but that newfound wealth has not resulted in a new sense of community. I get the impression that people are more preoccupied with themselves than when they didn't possess so much. There is less opportunity to relax, to get together informally, and to enjoy the little things of life. Success has isolated a lot of people and made them lonely. The higher up you get on the ladder of prosperity the harder it becomes to be together, to sing together, to pray together, and to celebrate together in the spirit of Thanksgiving."
___God calls us to more than a pause to say thanks. God invites us to spend our lives gratefully responding to God's goodness.
___Brett Younger is pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
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